Fine Again
by deonnavalentine
Summary: When Clare checks the mail to look for her new book, she comes to find out that it's not her mail. It's Eli Goldsworthy's, the guy who broke her heart in high school and also attends the same college as her. Can the two of them mend a past relationship together? Rated M for language/later chapters.


Hi guys. It's been a long while since I've wrote fan fiction. I have been thinking about this story line for the longest time already. Probably months! The story will unravel itself. Clare and Ali are 19. Eli, Drew and Adam are 20 and they are roommates. So Clare is in her 2nd year of college and Eli is in his third. I will update maybe 2 times a week but it will be at least once a week no doubt. I don't have a beta reader so just go over any mistakes. It's rated M for a reason but it won't get that sexy until mid-story ;) So here it is :) enjoy! Reviews are really appreciated.

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I got out of the bus in a hurry. I received an email that the new release of Chuck Palahniuk's new book should be delivered in my mailbox today and I'm so excited to finally get my hands on it. Quickly, I ran over to the P.O. Boxes outside of the dorm building to find my box. I noticed there wasn't a package for me, but what was inside was not any of my mail or letters. Grabbing the strange mail out of the box I noticed the name that was printed on every single envelope. "Eli Goldsworthy". My head went spinning. No, Eli Goldsworthy of all people couldn't be attending my college, living in the next dorm building across the campus. This can't be happening. The guy I pushed out of my memory for the last 2 years. The guy who left and moved away from me before I even had a chance to tell him how I really felt about him, not that he cared anyways.

My mind was going a million miles a minute as I ran to my dorm room to sort this all out. How could I have not known he went here? I hadn't seen him in 3 years, junior year in high school for me and senior year for Eli. My head was spinning as I passed all of the other girls in my dorm. Some smiled at me but I guess I ignored them. I was considered most known in my dorm building, almost everyone talked to me and my roommate/best friend, Ali. I wouldn't say I was popular but I was friends with everyone. So how could Eli and I not know we attending the same college? Or maybe he did know but was too much of a coward to talk to me? Just like he left me in high school, scared.

I walked into my messy dorm only to find that Ali had went out with her friends for the night without bothering to tell me in person, rather in a note on the door. Not anything new to me, Ali goes out a lot and I'm more of a stay-at-home and finish my homework kind of person. It balanced out between us though. I threw the mail on the tiny in-table beside our couch. Getting through all of Ali's dirty clothes on the floor I finally reached my bed on the other side of the room and lay down. This can't be real. I never thought I would see Eli again.

I couldn't be in love with him anymore. I told myself I was done with after what he did. I thought of Eli sweeping me off my feet made my stomach turn into knots. In high school, Eli and I had a thing I guess you could say. We knew we loved each other but we couldn't physically be together because of my parents. They disliked him as much as they didn't like his parents. See, his parents and my parents used to be very good friends. That was until my parents received an inheritance and apparently they became "snotty" as Eli explained to me what his parents told him.

Thinking of how I could get Eli's mail to him without seeing me was tough. I wasn't the sneaky type. But apparently I could sneak by for one full year of school here without Eli or I knowing either of us was in one mile radius was easy. The more I thought about this, the more I wanted to get to the bottom of it all. Could Eli be ignoring me this whole time? Or was Eli just transferred at the beginning of the semester? By every second, I get even more curious as to how I got put into this mess.

I heard a knock on the door and assumed it was just another girl collecting signatures for some sort of survey. I got up off my bed to attend the unanswered door. As I was walking up to it I heard another knock. "I'm coming!" I opened the door to see my co-worker, Bianca for the third time this week. Bianca and I both worked at our local coffee shop. She probably wanted me to cover her shift once again.

"Clare! I really need you to cover my shift tonight PLEASE!?" Bianca cried.

I sighed out of irritation "Bianca, I've told you a thousand times! I hate working at night and I have so much science homework it's not even legally funny".

"But Clareeee!" she drug out my name. "Drew Torres asked me to hang out with him tonight at his dorm with his friends for a party and I just need to go!" Bianca argued.

I thought about all the homework piling up on my desk. But then thought about the extra money I could use to buy a couple more books.

Wanting Bianca to leave me alone I settled "Okay Bianca, I'll do it. But this is the last time! I can't be just covering for you when you need to go out on a lousy date"

"Thank you Clare! So much! Thank you, thank you, and thank you!" Bianca squealed as she ran off, assuming that she was going to get ready now for the next couple hours. I groaned realizing that all the things I have on my mind, now that I have to work tonight for three hours straight with only one break.

I decided to change into some more comfortable clothes to relax before I have to leave in about 2 hours. I looked for my laptop, considering I can't work on my homework tonight and tomorrow morning that I should get some of it completed now. Pulling out my notebook and pen I started writing notes from my text book. Even though I had so much work to finish and a shift to cover tonight I still couldn't get Eli off my mind. Gosh, why did this have to happen now?

**2 hours later**

I scrambled to get my socks and shoes on as I realized the time after waking up from dozing off on top of my notes. I hurried to my door and ran out into the hallway after locking the door. Making sure I had my keys and bag I raced out of the building and into the parking lot to get to the bus stop. If the bus gets here soon I should be able to make it to work in the next 10 minutes. The coffee shop was about 4 miles away from the dorm but I definitely didn't have the time to walk. I heard my phone beep in my large bag. I reached into it to quickly find it before the bus came. I felt it on my fingers and pulled it out. Ali had sent me a text message.

**ALI  
**Hey Clare, just wanted to let you know that I will not be home until late tonight so don't wait up.

**CLARE  
**Don't worry. Bianca has a date with Drew tonight and begged me to cover her shift so I will be getting in around 10 tonight.

**ALI**  
Oh, okay I will probably see you then, love you!

**CLARE **  
Love you too.

The bus finally came to my stop and I jumped up the steps to catch a seat. I sat down close to the back and felt the bus drive off. I looked at the time on my phone nervously hoping I can get there on time. Luckily my drop off stop was the next one. The bus had stopped and I hurried out paying the bus driver. I entered the coffee shop on time, thankfully. Fiona was just clocking off so I can now take over. I sighed knowing the next hour and a half would be very boring since everyone now is probably at home now or out.

Surprisingly, the time went by quick and I could take my break. It's already getting dark outside but I pushed my nerves aside and told the boss I would be back in 25 minutes. I didn't know what to do but think about Eli Goldsworthy. About what could happen when I have to end up giving him his mail. My past could be brought up that I didn't want to think about. I've told Eli just about everything in my life and he just left me in the middle of his senior year in high school with no explanation. I have so much to say to him, but I don't have the words. Walking down the sidewalk of town I remembered the book store was right down from the coffee shop. I entered the store taking in my surroundings. Not many people were here since it was 9:30 at night. I've never been here. I've always ordered my books online so I could get the best discounts.

I scanned their new releases, realizing they have a great selection of books sold here. I heard the door jingle signaling that someone had entered. It was a guy with light brown hair. He wore a dark brown beanie and dark washed jeans along with a normal t-shirt. I saw him coming my way and looked over at the books again pretending I didn't notice him. I could feel him beside me looking through the new books that came in. I noticed the clock and saw I had about 15 more minutes to kill. I looked over at the stranger and he turned my direction looking down not noticing me and accidentally bumped into my side.

"Oh jeeze I'm sorry, I should have been looking where I was going" The guy apologized quickly.

"It's totally fine". I laughed it off. "Hey you're Clare Edwards's right?" He questioned.

I speculated him and answering "Uh yeah, actually. I'm on my break from work"

He nodded "Ah well my name is Adam, I'm just trying to get out of the house. My brother and roommate are having a small-well quite big party at our house right now" He complained

"Wow on a Friday night, why am I not surprised?" I joked sarcastically

Adam laughed "Well if you get off of work soon then you can swing by if you wanted to, relax, and have a good time?"

"Oh whoa, I don't really know about that. I would love to but I don't know..." I told him

"Oh calm on, the party will continue for at least another two hours. Come on by, here's my address if you considered." He convinced. Adam pulled out a notepad out of his back pocket to write down what I'm assuming his address and gave the small piece of paper to me.

I sighed "Well, maybe I can make it. But it can't be until probably another hour until I get off work"

"Okay! I hope to see you there, Clare." He said as he walked over to pay for his books he picked up and left out of the store waving goodbye.

Oh boy, I just agreed to go to a party with all of this on my mind. I guess it could relieve some stress off of me to relax, like Adam said. I looked at the clock again and this time it was leaving time. I left the store onto the sidewalk and walked to the coffee shop returning to finish Bianca's shift. I hope this is the last time for a while that she asks me to cover for her. For the next hour and a half, I stood behind the counter waiting for time to pass. At night it's the worker on duties job to restock the candy in the front display of the main counter before closing time for the next day. I go into the back seeing my boss clicking off of sites quickly on his computer. He was probably looking at porn sites once again.

"Ahem" I said breaking the silence in the room to catch his attention. He turns in his office chair to me and gives me a look to continue.

"I need to restock the candy shelf in the front. Did the new boxes come in this morning?" I asked

"Oh yes, they are in the back, let me show you." He got up, looking at me like I was the candy instead. I followed him into the back. I've always got a weird feeling from this guy. He sure wasn't someone I wanted to be alone with, especially in the back of the shop. He pointed to the new boxes on the ground.

"Here they are. There's only a few, would you like some help?" He eyed me.

"Um no thanks, it's only 2 boxes. I think I got this one" I said just wanting him to leave the room and go back to his revolting sites on the internet. But he didn't leave quite yet. He stood somewhere behind me while I picked up one of the boxes. I assumed he was looking at my ass, what a pig. Finally getting out the entrance of the doorway he followed close behind smacking my butt. I reacted suddenly which caused me to drop the box, but I don't think anything was ruined inside of it.

"Excuse me! Keep your hands to yourself!" I yelled at the cocky man in front of me.

"Oh come on, baby. You know you like it. I see the way you look at me" He said back wrapping his arms around my waist. Within an instant I slapped him without any question. The smack made him take a step back but suddenly came forward grabbing both of my wrists and backed me up against the wall pinning them down. I tried screaming; earning me a slap on the cheek and a hand covering up my mouth keeping me from making any yells or screams. I am starting to tremble now, scared of what he's going to do now. He begins to put his hand under my shirt with his free hand and his other hand still covers my mouth. He talks dirty to me which only gets me more scared.

"Clare, how could you not know I've wanted you since I hired you?" He says. "I've wanted to put my hands all over you" He continued. I felt his foggy breathe on my neck as I tried getting out from his grip.

Suddenly I heard the door open and someone speaking "Hello! Anyone here?". In an instant I bit my boss's hand that was holding my mouth shut and he yelled quite loudly taking his hand off my mouth finally. I screamed as loud as I could so maybe the guy that entered could hear me and save me from this man I call my boss. I hear rumbling and a door open to the back where we are. My boss starts to scold me telling me not to do that again ever. A stranger with black raven hair runs in fast to find me pinned up against the wall still and proceeds to pull the guy off of me and throw him to the ground. I was shocked and relieved. I couldn't make out the face of the guy yet. He punches my boss earning groans and grunts from him and it seems that he has stopped. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket to quickly dial 911.

The guy hops off of my boss and proceeds to walk over to me with his head down and his hair covering his face. I get a perfect view at his face as he looks up to me. The 911 operator on the phone answers but I don't respond. The strange guy in front of me, that just saved me, was no stranger. His face turns to shock.

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That was so fun to write. As I was typing this, new ideas were just popping up and that's how it came out lol. I hope you guys like this story. Please review! If I get enough, I will continue! \(^_^)/


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